This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
One trend in automotive drivelines relates to an all-wheel drive driveline with an axle assembly having disconnecting and/or torque vectoring capabilities. Disconnecting capabilities permit the driveline to be selectively operated in a two-wheel drive mode as a means for improving fuel economy. Torque vectoring capabilities permit the driveline to alter the torque that would otherwise be applied to a pair of vehicle wheels that are driven by the axle to correct for understeer or oversteer in some situations.
One type of axle assembly that is capable of providing disconnecting and/or torque-vectoring capabilities is an axle assembly that employs a pair of friction clutches to provide speed differentiation between a pair of vehicle wheels. The known dual friction clutch differential arrangements, however, require complex mechanisms and/or hydraulic circuits to control the operation of the friction clutches. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an axle assembly having a dual friction clutch differential arrangement with a simplified actuation means for operating the friction clutches.